Tanna!

Port Resolution Bay was named by Captain Cook in 1774 when he visited in HMS Resolution. It is a large bay but half foul with reef. The cliffs behind Carina steamed from boiling hot springs that spewed directly into the ocean.

Mt. Yasur

One of the world's most accessible active volcanoes, Yasur was sending ash and debris thousands of feet in the air every couple of minutes while we approached Tanna from the sea. The park was temporarily closed to visitors but we hoped that the activity would diminish and we would get the chance to visit.

Stanley and his sister

Stanley is Port Resolution village's spokesperson. When we first arrived he paddled to Carina in one of the village dugouts. Chief Johnson was not available so we presented our gifts to Stanley. After a brief discussion, Mary took us on a tour of the clan's lands and gardens and homes.

Port Resolution Yacht Club

This modest building and its associated rustic guest cottages are on a quiet bluff overlooking the bay. Werry is the manager but these tykes were more than happy to show it off.

PRYC

For years guests and yachties have visited and left cards, flags and burgees as momentos...

Carina was here

so we did the same...it gave our old SSCA Commodore's burgee a new life.

Salvage

This typical home is build on a raised platform and uses a salvaged yacht boarding ladder as a front step.

Neat

The village's lands were neat and tidy. Even the pigs and chickens seemed well behaved.

Beach Cottages

These cabins are rented to tourists who wish to relax in modest comfort overlooking the reef and beach.

Modest

The cabins were neat and clean and very modest. There were no guests when we visited but there had been recently.

Cyclone Oli

Dealt the village quite a bit of damage. This was one of the cottages at the NE point.

Tragedy

The day before we arrived, Tom, a 24 year old young man and his two friends were free diving on this reef at the outermost reef visible here. Tom failed to surface; 3 days later, his body was found by two French cruisers in 24 meters of water. It was a very sad time on Tanna Island.

Everyone Fishes

This youngster was using a trident spear tip attached to a bamboo "arrow" which he shot into the shallows from an improvised bow .

Church

This Presbyterian church was about as modest as we've ever seen in the Pacific. There were other small churches in the village, though traditional beliefs are still prevalent here.

Beloved Watt

...was laid to rest in 1894 after five years as a missionary to the village. He was 47.

Mt. Yasur

We took this photo from our anchorage. The full moon was just setting and the rising sun turned the scene pink while Mt. Yasur was bellowing smoke and ash into the sky.

Mt. Yasur Even Pinker

A different timeframe shows the smoke more colorful still.

Hot Springs

Just about all of Vanuatu is geologically active. This steam vent was visible on the hillside above our anchorage. The water that gurgles into the ocean down below the vent is boiling hot.

Old and New

Villagers paddle traditional dugout canoes past an anchored Carina.

George

This local boy - he wasn't quite sure but he thought he was fifteen years old - asked to come aboard Carina. He had eyes the size of saucers as we gave him the grand tour and then fired up the computer to show him what our website looked like.

A Thankgiving Luncheon

The villagers gathered and honored the four cruisers who helped in the recovery of the drowned man's body even though our contribution was only donated fuel for the village boat. Here, Naomi chats with Jean Marie and Edouard who actually found and recovered the body.

Under a Shade Tree

villagers, dogs, goats and chickens gathered for a thanksgiving lunch.

A Separate Clan

This group of houses were separated from the main village and were composed of one clan's family members.

Thompson and Philip

This neat boy's tree house fronted the entrance path to the clan's group of homes.

The Candy Man

We brought some small hard candy to give away to the kids. The "kids" could be any age as all the villagers seem to have a sweet tooth.

Evening Play

Every evening the villagers would gather for spirited games of volleyball or soccer in the village's common. Johnson, the village's young chief is the man in the blue t-shirt talking with Jean Marie and Edouard of Sweet Life.

On to Mt. Yasur

This is the gate to the entrance of Mt. Yasur Park. The entrance fee was 3,350 Vatu (roughly $35 USD).

Mt. Yasur "Post Office"

This is a legitimate post office box on the side of the volcano Mt. Yasur.

Mt. Yasur Moonscape

After driving through a desolate landscape with smoke puffing from ground fissures, we parked at the base of the path to the mountain.

Silhouetted Couple

This French cruiser couple is silhouetted against the early evening sky while they stood on the rim of Mt. Yasur's caldera above us. The soot from a recent eruption was ominous to us as we climbed the trail

Trail to the Summit

This faint path led to the final lookout point. Even with powerful flashlights, it was difficult to discern the path after darkness fell.

An Eruption

Early evening and the volcano began to come to life.

Fire and Heat

After darkness fell, we were treated to constant rumblings and eruptions which shook the earth and lit up the night sky.